Bad Cops Just Change Departments

Here’s another example of one of the deep-seated problems in our criminal justice system. Even in the rare cases where bad cops are fired for lying about their own illegal and unconstitutional actions, they often just move on to another department and get new jobs. That’s what is happening in Georgia right now, where two cops who were fired for lying about a clearly illegal and corrupt raid on a gay bar have now been hired by a local sheriff’s department:

The Clayton County sheriff has hired two of the former Atlanta Police Department officers who were fired in the aftermath and investigations of the botched and unconstitutional Eagle raid, according to a report by WSB TV.

Clayton Sheriff Kem Kimbrough told WSB reporter Mark Winne he had no worries about hiring former APD Sgt. Willie Adams and Officer Cayenne Mayes. APD Chief George Turner fired the two men for lying during an in investigation of the 2009 raid on the gay bar.

Adams and Mayes tried to get their jobs back with the APD by appealing to the city’s Civil Service Board but the three-board panel upheld the firings in both cases. They were also defendants in a federal civil lawsuit filed by patrons of the bar; the city settled that suit for more than $1 million. Two other lawsuits filed by employees and patrons of the bar resulted in the city paying out another approximate $500,000 in settlements.

Mayes, a member of the now-disbanded Red Dog Unit, was also named in a separate lawsuit by men who alleged they were illegally strip searched in public. The city settled that lawsuit for $470,000.

“I respect the judgment of the Atlanta police department. Certainly Chief George Turner is a friend and mentor of mine,” Sheriff Kimbrough said in an interview with Winne. “The upside is that the citizens of Clayton County get some of the finest-trained, most experienced officers.”

He actually said that with a straight face. Which is why corruption runs so deep — even when there are consequences for corrupt cops, they just move on to the next job.

After spending several years touring the country as a stand up comedian, Ed Brayton tired of explaining his jokes to small groups of dazed illiterates and turned to writing as the most common outlet for the voices in his head. He has appeared on the Rachel Maddow Show and the Thom Hartmann Show, and is almost certain that he is the only person ever to make fun of Chuck Norris on C-SPAN.

jamessweet

Dude, it’s like the Catholic Church. Just shuffle them off to another parrish, er, department!

Abby Normal

I thought ex-cops were required to become security guards or private detectives. How else can they become the unforeseen wildcard that spoils the bad-guy’s plan and thereby learn a valuable lesson about what’s truly important.

steve oberski

@jamessweet

Louisiana actually is divided into parishes analogous to counties in other states.

Just off the top of my head but probably due to the influx of French/Catholic Acadians after the British stomped the French in the 1750’s.

evilDoug

I’m a bit suspicious that Turner fired the two against his personal wishes but to save face for the ADP. “Here, Kem, give these guys a job if you can.”

Maybe it is time for an Enforcement Offender Registry – hire a registered enforcement offender at extreme peril.

David C Brayton

If it really easy easy to find a new job in a different department, why do they fight so hard to get their old jobs back? It’s not cheap or easy to go through a lengthy appeal.

http://reasonableconversation.wordpress.com Kaoru Negisa

What an incredible joke. First, it must have been galling to have to fire them over harassing gay people, which we all know is an approved sport in most of Georgia, but the close relationship between the Atlanta chief and this sheriff does imply that some strings were pulled.

I wonder how the county will be able to fare, financially, when they inevitably get sued for something these guys did? Atlanta is probably a lot more cash flush for settlements than Clayton County is.

Tualha

What Sheriff Kimbrough didn’t say: “Well haiyul! These here boys don’t put up with no goddamned queers. Just what we want here in Redneck County! And they’s from the big city, so they prob’ly know all about that fancy scientific stuff like forensics and sech. Yep, they’ll be a genuwine asset to the force.”

AsqJames

Won’t a public history of dishonesty (especially in connection to the execution of their duties) be something of a gift to the defense should either of these officers ever be called to testify in future cases?

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About the Author

After spending several years touring the country as a stand up comedian, Ed Brayton tired of explaining his jokes to small groups of dazed illiterates and turned to writing as the most common outlet for the voices in his head. Read More...